Bank scam accused denies bribing Chhattisgarh CM

Raipur: An accused in a bank scam here has denied allegations that she paid money to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, his cabinet ministers and others after the bank went bust in 2006.

Rita Tiwari was the chairperson of the co-operative Indira Priyadarshini Mahila Nagrik Sahkari Bank, which went bust.

She is now out on bail after being arrested in connection with the case.

"The statement by Umesh Sinha (the then bank manager)... in media reports is totally wrong. Neither had I asked him to pay money to anyone nor did he give money to anyone," she said.

Tiwari was among 13 bank officials, including its directors, who were arrested in connection with the fraud.

"Whatever statement he (Umesh) gave is part of a conspiracy. He just wanted to save himself," she said.

Earlier, the opposition Congress had released a CD and transcripts of a narco-analysis test conducted on Sinha in which he had purportedly named the CM and four of his ministers as beneficiaries of the fraud.

The CD purportedly shows Sinha making a statement under narco-analysis that Rs 1 crore was paid to each top ruling party politician at the behest of Tiwari.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi has alleged that Tiwari was trying to shield the other accused in the case.

Trivedi demanded registration of a fresh FIR and a probe into the case by CBI.